Tobacco processing at home. Ways to ferment and cut tobacco at home

We all have heard more than once about the air drying of tobacco, about fire drying, about drying in the sun. So what is it and how is it actually done?

Many of us see these processes as the mysteries of alchemy, in which the properties of the tobacco leaf are changed at the subatomic level, literally turning lead into gold. However, there is nothing supernatural in these processes, and this kind of tobacco processing allows you to get rid of many unwanted substances in tobacco leaves, as well as form a flavor and aroma base. pipe tobacco, based on the characteristics of which tobacco blenders will make their blends.

The most common tobacco drying methods are:

air drying /air curing/
steam drying
fire drying /fire curing/
drying in the sun

After drying, the tobacco leaf is fermented under pressure or in pylons, although the latter is more commonly used for cigar leaf. During all these processes, the tobacco leaf gets rid of excess resins and the level of nicotine in it decreases. In the process of fermentation, the tobacco leaf changes its color, picks up taste and aroma.

The name of the method already says a lot. Tobacco leaves are tied in small bundles and hung out to dry under a canopy in the open air. Some tobacco manufacturers use blowers, or simply large fans, to speed up the drying process of the tobacco. Predominantly, this type of drying is applied to leaves that need to retain more nicotine, such as dark Burleys, as well as most cigar leaves.

Flue curing

When drying by this method, streams of hot air, smoke or steam are supplied to the tobacco leaf, which is supplied into a closed room through pipes, from the heating of which the air temperature in the room where it is hung rises.tobacco. In other words, the pipes act as large heating batteries. Most often, this method is used to dry light varieties of Virginia, which allows you to keep the light shade of the leaf, preserve the sugar content in the tobacco leaf and get rid of excess tar and nicotine. Tobacco dried in this way has a lower pH value and is therefore less likely to sting the tongue. However, a higher sugar content results in a higher burning temperature of the tobacco. Often, air-drying sheets are used for cigar wrappers, which maintain an optimal balance of sugar without causing unnecessarily high burn temperatures due to the fact that the cigar sheet itself has a low sugar content.

This drying method is reminiscent of the process of cooking shish kebab, so beloved by many of us - tobacco is processed with the smoke of glowing coals. Different varieties of tobacco are exposed to different smoke densities. So, for example, dark toasted Kentucky /Dark fired Kentucky, a variety of Burley/ is processed with a small amount of thinned smoke, while Latakia is processed with a dense and intense smoke, saturated with the aroma of burning wood as much as possible. With this drying, the tobacco leaf retains its natural nicotine content and pH value.

sun curing

Drying tobacco leaves in the open sun is typical mainly for Orientals. It is difficult to say how this method affects the sugar content in the tobacco leaf and its level of acidity, since the number of varieties of Oriental itself is quite large and the raw material initially has a rather large variation in both sugar content and pH.

In addition to this drying method, steaming and/or pressurizing of the tobacco leaves can be used. In the latter case, the tobacco undergoes a fermentation process, which quite strongly affects its taste characteristics.

Perique

The preparation of perique can also be distinguished as a separate process in which tobacco leaves are placed in barrels and pressed with a screw press, constantly tightening the press screws. Under high pressure, the cell walls of the tobacco leaf burst, and the expanding vacuole starts the fermentation process. During this process, the tobacco leaf is saturated with aroma and saturated with sweetness. Since Perique is a variety of Burley, the acid balance of which is shifted towards the alkaline environment, then the already rather high content of nicotine is perceived by us at a level higher than it actually is. In one of his articles, Gregory Pease described this phenomenon, explaining that the increased acidity in tobacco helps our body absorb nicotine and tobacco with a lower pH value seems less strong to us, while when smoking, the acidity decreases and by the end of the bowl, tobacco is perceived by us more strong. Tobacco leaf with a higher sugar content produces more acidic smoke, which is why Virginia varieties are more common for cigarette production, in which the acidity of the smoke allows nicotine to be absorbed with less discomfort. While alkaline tobacco cigarettes with the same level of "Vitamin H" content can cause undesirable reactions of the body: dizziness, hiccups, heart palpitations and nausea. The use of "alkaline" varieties of tobacco in pipe tobacco and cigars works a little differently due to the fact that in most cases the smoke is not inhaled, and the absorption of nicotine occurs through the oral mucosa, the change in strength is felt and perceived by the smoker's body more calmly.

Presses are also used in the preparation of flakes, cakes and rope tobaccos. Some of the pressed tobaccos are relatively low in nicotine, while others are quite strong. On the one hand, tobacco pressing reduces its acidity without changing its initial strength, on the other hand, the final strength of the tobacco mixture is determined by the tobacco varieties that are used in it. So, for example, despite the prevailing opinion that the tobaccos of the Lake District are made on the basis of Virginia, their strength is determined by the presence of a fairly large number of dark varieties of Burley. In addition, often the Virginia used in them, due to growing conditions, has a lower sugar content.

Pylons

Cigar leaf is characterized by tobacco fermentation in pylons - tobacco is stacked in rows in high towers. Under the pressure of the upper layers of tobacco in the lower layers, the temperature rises and fermentation begins. This temperature, as well as the degree of pressure, are constantly measured, since it is these factors that ultimately affect the color of the leaf and its taste. When ready, the lower layers are removed, and new layers of tobacco leaves are laid out on top of the pylon. The temperature at which the fermentation process takes place does not greatly affect the final strength of the leaf, but the sweetness of the tobacco depends on it, since with increasing temperature the tobacco becomes sweeter and some of the sugars caramelize.

Of course, the chemistry of these processes is much more complicated than described in this article, and my experience does not allow me to describe in more detail and more substantively the changes that occur in the tobacco leaf with each of the described methods of drying and preparing tobacco. But, I hope, this at least slightly opened the veil secrets and will give you at least a minimal idea of what way tobacco goes before we go to the store to buy pipe tobacco, and before tobacco gets into our pipes, and how this affects its color and taste .

Translation and publication of the article are made with the kind permission PipesMagazine, the original article is on the site

Before going on sale under the guise of smoking Tobacco, tobacco leaves are first subjected to preparatory operations: sorting, wetting, leaching, removing leaf nerves, rolling, etching, tinting.

It is clear that not all of these processing methods apply to any given T., the final processing consists in cutting, drying, sieving and packaging.

Sorting- very painstaking and important operation; entrust it to an experienced worker, an expert on tobacco leaves - a sorter. To help him, teenagers are assigned to serve, untie and remove bunches of leaves. All crumpled, spoiled leaves are selected. The best leaves are sorted by size, density, color (yellow to dark brown). Only the best grades of Tobacco are subjected to such careful sorting.

Moisturize tobacco leaves in order to give them the elasticity necessary for further processing. In the simplest case, they proceed as follows: the leaves are laid in bales and the top layer is poured with water. For complete and uniform penetration of moisture into the entire mass of leaves, it takes from ½ to 1 day. Another way is to pass the bunches of leaves through the water and put them in regular piles. In this case, time is also needed for uniform and complete wetting. Humidification is carried out much faster and on a large scale in special apparatuses.

One of the simplest in design is a tightly closed drum with double walls and two tubes: inlet and outlet steam. The drum is loaded with bundles of leaves and passed through the entire mass of steam for several seconds, then cold water is poured into the gap between the walls of the drum so that the steam condenses in the mass of leaves. In some cases, when, for example, already cut T. has dried up, it is watered from a pump that gives extremely fine sprays.

Leaching(to improve the quality of tobacco) is produced with water, weak solutions of hydrochloric acid and other substances in special presses. The press consists of a voluminous cylindrical vessel into which Tobacco is loaded. Tobacco is poured with liquids and compressed with a hand or steam press.

Removing nerves from leaves done after sorting. The tool is a sharp curved knife or a special incisor with two blades, which immediately makes an incision on both sides of the main nerve (only this nerve is removed). Sometimes two blades are used for this purpose, fixed in the table parallel to each other, at a distance of the thickness of the nerve. By passing the sheet over these knives, the nerve is removed. Nerves and stalks are difficult to burn and impart an unpleasant pungent odor to Tobacco.

Rolling. If in some varieties of Tobacco the nerves are left, then the leaves are rolled (rolled) between rotating shafts. At the same time, petioles and nerves get the thickness of the sheet and burn more easily. The most essential part of the rolling machine is the endless belt that feeds the leaves to the windrows and the windrows that rotate on an axle. Sometimes husked nerves and petioles are used for processing; for rolling them, machines equipped with a funnel are arranged, through which fine material is poured onto rolls, with which it is rolled.

Etching is that Tobacco is treated with various substances that give it a certain taste and smell. In small factories, this operation is carried out by dipping tobacco leaves tied in small bundles into the so-called. "sauce", and then let the latter drain. Other factories sprinkle the leaves with the sauce using a broom and allow the sauce to penetrate the leaves. This can be accelerated by squeezing them. At the end of the sauce or pickling process, as evidenced by the softness and flexibility of the middle nerve of the leaf, the Tobacco is transferred to the cutting machine. Large factories use the same presses for pickling as for leaching. Very often, with careless work, Tobacco begins to ferment after pickling; an ammonia smell develops and the volatile aromatic parts introduced during pickling evaporate (due to an increase in temperature). Fermentation is stopped by sprinkling Tobacco with solutions of acids (acetic, hydrochloric) or salts (salt, ammonia).

It's no secret that the content of modern cigarettes is practically no natural tobacco. Of course, you can buy high-quality varietal tobacco, but keep in mind that its cost will be quite high. It is for this reason that many heavy smokers choose to grow and process their own tobacco. However, the seedling selection process and subsequent care of the plants does not guarantee that the finished tobacco will have good taste and aroma characteristics.

In order to get the optimal smoking mixture, you need to know how to grow, dry and process the collected tobacco leaves, because properly carried out tobacco fermentation at home will ensure long-term storage and almost complete absence of bitterness in taste.

Pre-drying

The pre-drying procedure consists of two steps:

Languor - preliminary drying of tobacco;
Fermentation is the final phase in the preparation of smoking raw materials.

Immediately after you have collected the leaves, they must be prepared for pre-drying, or as it is also called “galling”. Provided that the process is carried out correctly, the leaves will acquire a yellow-brown color. Please note that if the completely dried leaves retain their green color, then the procedure was performed incorrectly and, as a result, such tobacco will not have quality characteristics.

Drying and fixing naturally

You can dry tobacco grown with your own hands in a very large number of ways, but an ordinary barn is best suited for this purpose, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich will warm up evenly naturally throughout the day. It would also be useful to have ventilation in the room, but without a noticeable draft. The leaves need to be strung on a thread, piercing holes a little below the handle, and fix it under the ceiling of the barn. At the same time, it is necessary that the distance between them is at least 0.5 mm for normal evaporation of moisture.

As for the time and methods of drying, it is necessary to focus solely on the type of tobacco and the climatic conditions in the area where it is carried out. The languishing period usually takes several days. At this time, you must carefully monitor that the sheets do not show signs of decay. In addition, make sure that the main leaf area remains green with a partially dried cutting. If the appearance of the leaves corresponds to these signs, then you can proceed to the final process, fixation, the main sign of completion of which is the obvious yellowing of the sheets. This process usually takes about a month. If the procedure is carried out correctly, then as a result of the transformation of a number of substances contained in the structure of tobacco leaves, they will acquire properties that favorably affect the smell and taste of the resulting smoke.

What is fermentation?

Fermentation of tobacco at home is the process of changing its physical properties as a result of biological or chemical action on the leaves. In the process of fermentation, their color changes, elasticity increases and resistance to mold is acquired during storage and transportation.

There are two types of fermentation:

Natural. Tobacco leaves must be stored for a long time under certain conditions. An example is Dominican tobacco, which has been stored in oak barrels or bales for 5 years.
Artificial. This is a quick fermentation of tobacco at home. Despite the fact that the strength of tobacco is significantly reduced, it acquires a noble taste and smell.

Optimal temperature for fragmentation

The optimal temperature at which tobacco is fermented at home depends on the type of tobacco you have grown. So, for example, cigarette tobacco is dried at a temperature of 60 ° for three weeks, then it should lie dormant for about a month, and only after that the second part of fermentation takes place, during which you must keep the leaves at a temperature of 5-10 ° higher than the first time. After that, the tobacco must be left alone for at least six months, and only after this time, start making cigarettes.

Processing periods

To date, there are three stages in the processing of tobacco leaves:

Initial: gradual heating of tobacco leaves to the maximum temperature over a period of several days to a week, depending on the variety and quality of the pre-drying of tobacco. In this case, it is necessary to maintain the humidity in the oven chamber within 60%.
Main: is the most responsible, and its implementation directly affects the quality of tobacco. At this stage of fragmentation, the humidity in the oven or microwave should be increased to 75%.
Final: tobacco cooling. The temperature in the chamber gradually decreases, and the humidity is maintained at 80%. When the temperature in the oven drops to room temperature, the tobacco is removed from the oven.

Sometimes, in order for tobacco to acquire optimal properties, a combined mode is used. In this case, tobacco is fermented at home in the microwave. With this method, the temperature is quickly raised to a maximum value, and then sharply reduced and kept at this level for some time. Such processing helps to remove moisture from the compressed tobacco mass, which is especially important when fermenting leaves with a high moisture content.

When the fermentation is completed, the air temperature in the microwave is reduced, while trying to maintain the required degree of humidity.

Leaf sorting

Before fermentation, it is necessary first of all to sort all smoking tobacco according to the varieties and size of the leaves. Fermentation at home, regardless of the type of tobacco, is carried out according to almost the same method, however, there are special varieties that have individual fermentation technologies. It is noteworthy that they are used exclusively to create cigars. An example is the topmost tier of tobacco leaves, which has the most intense smell, tart taste and maximum strength, so their fermentation takes place according to an individual technology that is unique to them. You can even ferment shag. The only variety where this processing is not used is oriental tobacco.

Immediate process

There are extremely many ways to process smoking tobacco. Fermentation at home is designed to prepare raw materials for consumption.

The main ways to ferment tobacco at home:

Please note that even if you do not have devices for measuring humidity, when drying tobacco, it is necessary to maintain the temperature regime, otherwise the leaves will become completely unsuitable for long-term storage and consumption.

Storage Methods

Drying and fermenting tobacco at home allows you to get high-quality raw materials at minimal cost. After the final processing stage, tobacco can be stored for at least one year without loss of quality. The only exception is oriental varieties that retain their qualities for two years. Then the first signs of tobacco aging begin to appear. So, for example, the aromaticity of the smoke weakens, the taste becomes light and empty, and incomplete taste develops. Keep in mind that low air temperature and low humidity slow down the aging process of tobacco, so it is best to store it in a warm and dry place.

Ordinary tobacco, home garden or fragrant - all these concepts refer to one plant that is easy to grow on your site. It is believed that the very principle of growing tobacco is not so complicated, it is only necessary to devote more time to post-harvest processing or fermentation. But there is no need to be afraid of this either, there is nothing complicated in this work. Moreover, if you know how to grow garden crops and seal for the winter, then you can handle tobacco fermentation just fine.

What you need to know before sowing seeds?

Let's first think a little and think about whether this long process of growing a self-garden is so important for you, or is it still better not to waste your personal time and buy a pack or two of cigarettes in a store? No, heavy smokers believe that the efforts are justified in full, the savings in the family budget are obvious, and it’s not a pity for time and effort for your loved one. Moreover, the result will exceed all expectations: the product is clean and tested, there will be no chemicals or additives.

These positive moments are the best proof that it is better for a smoker to smoke a cigarette of his own tobacco than to buy a "tar" cigarette with an admixture of chemicals. And now forward, we will learn to grow tobacco together.

Before you start work, you need to know that the property of the plant will directly depend on the soil in which it grows. Tobacco adapts to any weather and climatic conditions, only the end result may differ from the original grown in the South of the country. Now it becomes clear that tobacco is a heat-loving plant. Don't worry, there are several varieties of self-garden that adapt to soil composition and temperature.

What else to consider before boarding:

The composition of the soil directly affects not only the size, but even the color and shape of the leaves.
The aroma of tobacco depends on the mineral salts contained in the soil, as well as the level of moisture.
If there is not enough air (cultivation in greenhouses), then this affects the taste of the leaves.

A bit of history

It is difficult to say how many centuries ago humanity discovered the properties of tobacco and the fact that this plant can be smoked. The plant is native to Peru and Bolivia. But Europe is obliged to Columbus for the fact that he brought this plant and taught the Europeans how to smoke.

Currently, this crop is widely cultivated in India, China and North America. In Russia, or rather in the former USSR, it was also customary to grow tobacco in plantations in countries with a warm climate: Moldova, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. At present, in the outbacks of Transcaucasia, people still grow tobacco on their personal plots, as they say, in the old fashioned way.

The main requirement for growing this crop is high air temperature. Tobacco loves when it is hot outside, so the optimum temperature for preserving the juiciness of the leaves and color is +30 ° C. The soil is more suitable for moist and light, as well as “loose” with an admixture of sand.

The method of propagation of tobacco is with the help of seeds, from which it is necessary to first grow seedlings, and then plant them in open ground.

Attention! Each of you should know that the stems and leaves of this plant contain nicotine, and there is more of it in the leaves (up to 3%). Nicotine is a toxic substance that can cause euphoria. This condition passes quickly, but it is not necessary to abuse tobacco smoking. By the way, they use tobacco not only by smoking, but also by chewing, and sniffing tobacco powder. Natural nicotine is a potent toxic substance that is unsafe for human health.

So do you still need to grow tobacco or not? Theoretically, yes, if health problems do not bother you, then you can try to grow smoking tobacco yourself. The first advantage is that there is little space on the plot, the second is simple mathematics. It is known that there is very little tobacco in 1 cigarette, even less than indicated on the pack, about 1 g. It turns out that there is only 20 g in a pack. If you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, then this is already a blow to the family budget. Suppose you have to buy 30 or 31 packs per month, and a large amount is obtained per year. As a result, tobacco will cost almost nothing, and even if only 6-8 kg is needed per year, this is not as much as the cost of purchased cigarettes.

If conditions allow, then from just 1 bush you can get up to 30 g of tobacco! And only on 1 acre of land to grow up to 7 plants! Seedlings are located at a distance of 20 cm from each other, and large-leaved ones - 30 cm, planting density is 70 by 30 or 70 by 20 cm. If you take a plot equal to 40 m 2, then you will have to plant 300 seedlings in total. And yet, if the plant turns out to be concentrated or, as they say, “evil” tobacco, then it will have to be diluted with the stems of the same plant, and this is even more profitable.

Find out which plant varieties are best to plant

If you are among those who dream of harvesting your first tobacco crop from your own plot, then you need to get seeds. Planting material must be purchased at the store. Consultants will offer a choice of several popular varieties of tobacco, it can be "Rural" or "Virginia". Let us consider in more detail each type of this plant.

Variety "Virginia" - the taste of the leaves is soft, delicate. This variety of plants adapts to any climatic conditions. Elite varieties of tobacco are grown in favorable conditions in Brazil. Collected leaves are processed in a simple way: fumigation with smoke.

Variety "Rural" - resistant to changes in weather conditions, the leaf is strong and tart. The aroma is subtle.

There are many more different varieties of tobacco that you can also try to grow at home. Each variety is bred taking into account cultivation in central Russia. It is very important to consider the area where the tobacco will be grown in order to select the right variety.

So, it is worth paying attention to such varieties of tobacco:

"Kuban Trapezond", from planting to collecting the last leaf takes about 100 days. The content of the main substance - nicotine, is 2.6%;
"92 Trapezond" is a resistant tobacco variety that is not afraid of diseases and pests. Short growing season. After planting, 98 days pass and you can start collecting the sheet;
"New Anniversary" - a short growing season, only 78 days. Standard nicotine content: from 2.0%;
"85 Samsun" is an intensive variety with a high ripening rate. It takes 105 days from planting to the moment the leaf is collected. Collection of mature leaves from one bush - up to 50 pieces;
"316 Holly" is a late-ripening plant variety, characterized by a low percentage of nicotine content. Average growing season: 120 days including the last leaf collection.

Cultivation of fragrant tobacco

To grow tobacco from seeds, you first need to prepare the planting material. This is easy to do, as we prepare any seeds before planting: we simply soak them in a wet cloth with the addition of an antiseptic (it can be tartaric acid or a little potassium nitrate). We wrap dry seeds in a cloth dipped in water with the addition of an antiseptic, leave for a day. This method improves the quality of seeds.

After exposure, it is necessary to rinse the planting material, carefully squeeze out the excess liquid, spread it on a saucer or enamelware, and then put it on the windowsill (the place should be warm). From time to time you will have to moisten the cloth with seeds. Make sure that the sprouts do not germinate to a length exceeding the size of the grains, then the sprouts quickly break off and the germination of tobacco decreases.

After the seeds germinate, they become dry or loose. They must be mixed with a special solution (sold in stores) or with sand.

Estimated date of planting seeds: in late February or early March. Sowing tobacco seeds is carried out at home. Watering - very carefully so as not to overdry or overmoisten the soil, as this negatively affects the aroma of the leaves. We moisten the soil every day, maintaining the optimal level of moisture. The temperature in the room is + 23-25 ° C.

When growing tobacco seedlings, it is very important to apply top dressing, it can be chicken manure or mineral fertilizers.

Seedlings ready for planting in open ground reach a height of 15 cm with 6 developed leaves and a strong root system.

7 days before the expected planting date, it is necessary to gradually accustom the seedlings to changes in temperature conditions in order to harden off young plants.

Planting seedlings of tobacco

It is very important when growing tobacco from seeds to choose the right place for planting. Choose a site so that there is no stagnation of moisture and drafts in this place. Fertilize the soil and loosen well. Fertilizers are suitable such: manure or compost. Be sure to remove weeds from the site before planting.

Rules for planting tobacco:

Planting dates for seedlings are the end of April and inclusive until the end of May. Just these months are the most favorable time, because the frosts are already behind.
Seedlings need to be planted, adhering to a distance of 20 cm. Between the rows we leave a gap of 70 cm so that each plant develops fully and the leaves are large.
Pour 1 liter of water into each well after planting tobacco seedlings.
Lateral shoots and inflorescences must be broken off during the planting period.
The first top dressing is immediately after planting with a mixture of slurry with superphosphates. You can also use water, with the addition of sulfur powder.
When you see the first inflorescences, treat each bush with onion peel tincture or garlic-infused water.
After 7 days, you need to repeat the treatment of plants with onion tincture, and after another week - the last time. Then you can ensure that the tobacco grows fragrant.

About pests and diseases

Tobacco has many "fans", so it is necessary to carry out protection measures in time to save the harvest.

Common tobacco pests:

"Peach aphid", tobacco or greenhouse - the most terrible pest for this plant. It affects many crops, including wild ones. Aphids suck out all the juices from the plant, reducing the quality of the crop;
"Black leg" - massively affects all seedlings, affecting the base of the stem. A dark or light coating appears on the surface affected by the pest. Pathogens can remain in the soil for a long time;
"Mosaic" - the distinctive properties of this pest are visible to the naked eye: light spots appear on the plant. Over time, these affected leaves die off;

"Powdery mildew" - spots resembling cobwebs appear on the leaves. Powdery coating gradually becomes continuous, affecting the tops of plants;
"Root black rot" - this pest tends to infect young plants, but an adult plant is also affected by the disease. The leaves gradually fade, white spots with black dots form on the roots;
"Ryabukha bacterial" - the tips of young leaves on seedlings and young plants are covered with oily or wet spots. If it is wet outside, then gradually the plant dies.

Proper harvesting

Growing tobacco at home is an interesting activity. Gradually, you have mastered the intricacies of growing seedlings, and now it's time to harvest. First you need to break off the lower leaves from each adult plant. The collected leaves must be laid out in 1 layer in the sun and left for 2 days. Then transfer the leaves to a dark room with high humidity. Leave the leaves to dry for a whole month. To maintain a certain level of humidity in the room, you can put a container of water in the room where tobacco leaves are dried and monitor the level.

Be careful when collecting tobacco. The fact is that each bush consists of 4 tiers and the leaves of each tier ripen gradually. Therefore, when harvesting, each time you need to sign the harvest, so as not to get confused. The break between harvesting is 2 weeks. The collection of leaves is now from the top down. The top leaves will be the most valuable.

How to Ferment Tobacco

Proper drying of the leaves is already half the success. There will be very little left to achieve the final result and smoke the long-awaited cigarette of hand-grown tobacco. Do not rush to improve the quality of the collected material, you must perform the fermentation procedure. You can do this yourself at home. But for this you will have to try.

A special cabinet is needed to process the leaves. You can make it yourself from an old refrigerator. Place the thermostat and heating element inside. Remember that each type of tobacco has a different fermentation technology.

What is fermentation? This is a complex process of processing the collected raw materials at a high temperature (+50 ° C) for 2-3 weeks.

Why is complex fermentation necessary? To get rid of excessive strength, that is, to reduce the nicotine content, etch resins and improve taste.

If it is not possible to build a special cabinet for drying leaves, accelerated fermentation is allowed. Place the crushed leaves in the oven (temperature not higher than +60 o C).

Ready-made tobacco can be crushed, stored in linen bags, protected from moisture. They smoke their own grown tobacco in a pipe, wrap cigarettes using special paper (sold in stores).

Now you know how to grow tobacco at home. Good luck in your endeavors!

OUR "TOBACCO" PRODUCES A GOOD SILAGE MASS)))

And this is especially noticeable in cigarettes under the GTF brand - someone smokes nearby .... so at least run ..

This year I wanted to grow my own tobacco, but when I read the technology of bringing the leaf to the final product, I decided that there was no point in doing this. Drying the leaf is another half of the process, as a result we get an ordinary home garden ... the times are not the same)))

For anyone who wants to taste the taste of their own tobacco, I recommend reading the process (technology) of leaf fermentation. I think that desire will disappear.

Here is one of the articles:

The processes that occur during the drying of tobacco stop at the moment of drying the sheet tissue. The processes are resumed again under favorable conditions at a new stage, during the fermentation of tobacco. This improves the appearance of raw materials; aroma appears, moisture capacity decreases, elasticity increases, chemical composition changes, resistance against damage by microorganisms increases.

The harvested melted castings,% as mentioned above, are stacked in bales and stored in an unheated room. Tobacco leaves should be stacked in bales according to the breaking time to obtain high-quality raw materials.

One of the environmentally friendly and practically proven ways of fermenting tobacco and obtaining high-quality raw materials at home is warehouse (seasonal) fermentation.

The fermentation process depends on weather conditions: air humidity and temperature. Tobacco, packed in bales, is placed on a wooden flooring, spaced 25-30 cm from the floor. It is necessary for natural air circulation. Bales can be stored at a height of no more than 2.5-3 m.

Natural fermentation (i.e. aging) takes quite a long time, but produces high quality raw materials. It should be noted once again that seasonal fermentation has been developed empirically by many generations of tobacco growers around the world.

Aging terms (achieving the maximum quality improvement) for aromatic oriental tobaccos - 24 months, skeletal 18 months, other types - 12 months.

If tobacco is stored for a very long time, then deeply advanced aging processes worsen the quality of raw materials: the aromaticity of the smoke weakens, the taste becomes light, empty, and incompleteness of taste develops. Low air temperature and low humidity slow down the aging process of tobacco.

Tobacco in the process of fermentation reaches a temperature inside the bale of 53-60 ° C, humidity 30-35%. Therefore, periodic shifting of leaves in a bale is necessary as this temperature is reached (it is determined either by touch or by a thermometer).

Relocation for ventilation is needed to prevent mold and is done as needed, but at least 1 time in 2-2.5 months.

Leaf tobacco that has not finished fermentation is not suitable for factory processing both in terms of taste and physical properties, and in terms of the instability of products during storage and transportation due to the ease of damage by molds and bacteria.

During fermentation, tobacco usually decreases in weight. The weight loss of tobacco during this time varies depending on the type of tobacco and its composition, the moisture content of the raw material, the fermentation mode, etc. In the practice of tobacco growing, weight loss during fermentation is called shrinkage. It arises as a result of the loss of dry matter and water during biochemical transformations of the composition and changes in the properties of tobacco leaf tissue and is considered a technologically necessary loss.

As mentioned above, this technology, which has been used for many decades, was developed purely empirically and was based on knowledge of the signs of tobacco leaf processing: the state of the air in fermentation rooms, heating tobacco and changing its humidity, improving the color and smell of tobacco. It is environmentally friendly and allows you to get valuable tobacco raw materials of very high quality with a low nicotine content. The whole process is based on the natural properties of the tobacco leaf without the use of any chemical synthetic substances.